Description

My name is Isabel.I'm an English teacher.I live with my boyfriend and our lovely daugther who is 4 years old.We live in a village in La Rioja in the north of Spain.

Type of help

Babysitting / child careLanguage practice

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

We will show the travellers the area, take them to visit some interesting places and explain to them as many cultural aspects as we can. Moreover,they can also learn some Spanish with us (depending on the time of the year they can even attend Spanish classes for free in the village).

Help

When my daugther was born,I decided to start speaking in English to her, so that she could learn the language in a natural way. I have been doing it since then and she is making great progress. She is very fluent in English and Spanish at the moment and she is able to understand and to make quite complex sentences in both languages. However, I would like her to have as much contact with English as possible.That's why I'm looking for native speakers who can play with her and speak in English to her for a few hours every day while they stay with us. We have been doing this for two years so far and it's been fantastic for her English development and for the rest of the family to meet amazing people and to learn a lot about other cultures.

Languages spoken

English and Spanish

Accommodation

We have a bedroom with a bathroom in a small flat which is above our flat.They will be staying there.

This was more like a "PlayAway" experience. The "work" was our children playing with and speaking English to four-year-old Maria. They all got on very well and naturally. It was like one long play-date for the girls. Isabel and Jose were gracious and accommodating hosts. They made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. They didn't… read more blink an eye at my daughter's and my gluten-free requirements. Since our stay was short, they spent weekends with us, taking us to other towns and showing us around. It was lovely. They recommended we extend our trip to so that we could go to a fiesta in a nearby town and we are so glad we did - it was unforgettable! Great way to experience small-town Spanish life in La Rioja.

I spent just under two months with this incredible family and it has been the experience of a lifetime! Isabel, Jose and María were so so so welcoming and from the moment I met them I knew I was going to have a great time. They were so accommodating with the delicious gluten free food they provided, it has made the food in England seem very boring… read more haha! I really enjoyed spending time playing with María and doing experiments and crafts, it was so fun to be able to do things that I wouldn't necessarily get to do at home. She is such a lovely, funny and incredibly bright little girl and she certainly made me laugh a lot! I got to meet some of the relatives too who were so lovely and really made an effort to make me feel included and welcomed. The location was incredible too, being from a little village myself it meant that it wasn't too much of a shock which was very nice. We did lots of excursions which the family planned and I really enjoyed these because it allowed me to see more of La Rioja which in itself its a beautiful region! As cliché as it may sound, this has been an absolutely life enhancing experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat! See you in London!

Millie stayed almost 2 months with us and we were really happy to have her in our house. She is a wonderful girl and we loved getting to know her and talking to her. She was also amazing at playing with María and had great ideas about crafts and experiments that she could do with her. María and I learnt a lot of English with her and she even… read more helped me to improve my vocabulary and my pronunciation a lot. She is awesome and we can't recommend her highly enough to any family who might consider hosting her. We are very grateful for all the moments we have had with her and we hope to see her again soon in London.

Claire spent 3 months with us a few months ago and we really enjoyed having her in our house. She is the first Irish girl that we have hosted through Workaway and it was awesome to have someone from a country that I really love and that I have so many nice memories of. I feel very happy that she read a lot of Irish stories to María and that she… read more taught her a lot of things about her wonderful country. Now she can even recognise the Irish flag very easily.
She is very, very polite and really kind, helpful, respectful, responsible and hard-working. She was very patient with our daughter and good at interacting with her and María loved jumping with her in the trampoline and playing with her and the teddies, especially with the big one. We wish her all the best for her next project that she is already in and she is welcome to come back anytime she wants.

(Excellent
)

11/02/2019

Left by Workawayer (Lucy) for host

It's so difficult to write a review that will truly summarise how great my time with the family was, but I'll try. I spent around 3 months with Isabel, Jose and María and it was an amazing experience that has changed my life and I am so grateful for everything. I couldn’t have stayed with a better family, they welcomed me straight away and made me… read more feel so comfortable and part of the family. The main ‘role’ was looking after and spending time with María to develop her English, but her English is so impressive that it doesn’t feel like I was teaching her, but just that we were playing and having fun everyday. She is such a sweet, thoughtful and intelligent little girl who impressed me all the time, and she has been the best ‘little sister’ to me. I will really miss her so much! Of course, Isabel and Jose made my stay amazing too. Jose is great at cooking and although my Spanish is very basic, I found him really friendly and fun to be around. Isabel was also amazing, she was so helpful with everything and I got on really well with her, I’m going to miss our walks! She also helped me so much with my Spanish by sorting the classes in the village for me and also giving me Spanish lessons some mornings too! There were other au pairs in the village who Isabel introduced me to and this was lovely as it meant I had people my age to meet up with and travel with. The weekends were free so I went on a few trips to cities in Spain which was great, Isabel was able to help me with this by recommending places and bus companies etc. The family showed me so many places, for example, a winery, monasteries, castles etc, and I really enjoyed our days out altogether. They made my time in Spain unforgettable and I’m so glad I got so close to them, even though it made it so much harder to leave. I’m going to miss Spain and the people in it so much, but I’m so glad I have so many great memories to look back on for the rest of my life, and I know that I will see the family again and we will stay in contact. I would 100% recommend this family to anyone who likes children and wants to see real Spain! I cannot thank the family enough for my time with them :)

You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.

(Excellent
)

07/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Lucy)

We feel extremely lucky that Lucy decided to come and stay with us. We couldn't have wished for a better match for our family. She is amazing with children and was awesome with our little girl María, who loved spending time and playing with her and would even say Lucy was her "big sister". She also managed to become part of our family very easily… read more and was always willing to participate in all the activities that we prepared for her. She is really kind, friendly, helpful, thoughtful, respectful, responsible with her tasks, patient with children, etc. and very, very mature for her age. We can't say anything negative about her at all and we can't recommend her highly enough to any family, especially if they have children. We are very grateful for the incredible months we've had with her and for the so many wonderful meories that we've made. It was terribly sad to see her leave and we are going to miss her so much, but we hope to see her again in the near future.

(Excellent
)

18/10/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Mali)

We were very happy to host Mali for a month in our house. She was always really kind, helpful and respectful. She was very good with our daughter, María. They did lots of things together, lots of crafts, reading books, playing volleyball, etc. She is very creative and we loved learning about all her projects. Also, she took amazing pictures of our… read more daughter and of the area in general. It was a very good experience to have her staying with us and we wish her all the best for the next of her trip and her life in general. We would love to see her again sometime.

(Excellent
)

28/09/2018

Left by Workawayer (Mali) for host

I spent a month with Isabel, Jose and their beautiful daughter Maria in la rioja! It was an amazing experience: to view life in a small village, connect with a young child, and learn about Spanish culture. Maria is a brilliant soul. She is so smart it’s unbelievable how well she speaks English. If you come here, you will have no language barriers… read more with her she understands perfectly and has a great vocabulary for someone her age. Isabel and Jose were very kind and generous and I enjoyed my time getting to know them. They took me to a really nice winery and encouraged me to go on a weekend trip to San Sebastián. I also really liked having my own apartment and bathroom and the accommodations were comfortable and private. Thank you so much Isabel for inviting me into your home. My first workaway experience and it was very positive! Good luck in the future and hope to visit again!

What an amazing and unforgettable 5 weeks we had with Isabel, Jose and Maria! This was our first workaway experience and I felt incredibly blessed to have found such kind and attentive hosts. Isabel's calm demeaner and experience as a host were very helpful and reassuring, as I was nervous about travelling alone with my daughter for the first… read more time. She helped with my travel arrangements and ensured that all of our needs were met.
We had a lot of fun with Maria, who is an incredibly bright little girl, and we enjoyed picking up some Spanish with Jose, who doesn't speak English, although his passion for fun broke down any language barriers, and Alexa warmed to him immediately and felt very relaxed and happy with him.
It was a very valuable cultural experience to spend time with a Spanish family, away from the tourist side of Spain, we met many wonderful people and Isabel and Jose arranged loads of exciting and unforgettable adventures for us.
We were very comfortable in our accommodation, although we always felt entirely welcome and relaxed in the family home, it was really nice to have our own space as well.
I am eternally grateful for the experience and Isabel was so kind and intuitive in anticipating our needs and comfort as well as accommodating our vegan diet and lifestyle.
We shall always treasure our memories of the time we spent with this beautiful family in Pradejon, and hope to stay in touch with them.

We had the most amazing 5 weeks when Liza and Alexa stayed with us. It was a really interesting experience for all of us. With Liza, we learnt a lot about parenthood and home education, plants, birds, animals and vegan food. It was very enriching to have her in our house. Also, Alexa is very sweet and kind and we enjoyed very much watching her… read more relationship with María blossom. They had a lot of wonderful and lovable moments playing together that we will never forget. We wish them all the best for their future projects and hope to see them again one day.

(Excellent
)

26/06/2018

Left by Workawayer (Hannah) for host

My experience with Isabel, Jose, and Maria was remarkable. They treated me like family the moment I arrived and were always so hospitable and friendly. My primary motivation for using Workaway was cultural exchange and I definitely received that through this family. On weekends, they would always plan different excursions to teach me about Spanish… read more culture. From festivals to a castle to a winery, I saw so much in just two and half months. I already miss playing with Maria! She is so clever and funny and I truly enjoyed our time together. Her English is perfect and her vocabulary is truly impressive for a 3 year old. Watching her reinvigorated my creativity. I consider myself lucky to have lived with this family and cannot recommend this family enough.

You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.

(Excellent
)

11/06/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Hannah)

It was a really nice experience to have Hannah staying with us. She spent almost three months in our house and we did lots of things together. She was always very kind, helpful and respectful. She was very good at interacting with our daughter and at reading to her and she was always very patient. We wish her all the best for her future projects… read more and hope to see her again!!

(Excellent
)

25/01/2018

Left by Workawayer (Gemma) for host

By the time I leave Pradejon at the start of March I will have spent 5 months living with Isabel, Jose and Maria and I couldn't have wished for a more wonderful, friendly and caring family to share that time with. The family have done everything possible to help me fit in, from dinners with extended family, to introducing me to younger people in… read more the town to spend time with sometimes at the weekends. I also wanted to practice my Spanish and Jose and Isabel have been great in helping me with this! We have visited many beautiful places in La Rioja and the surrounding areas together, including monasteries, castles and wineries. Maria is incredibly sweet and clever; since she speaks perfect English, the time with her involves playing and it's been a privilege to watch her creativity. Whilst Pradejon is a small town, the family has done everything possible to make me feel at home here. If you want to experience life in a small Spanish town, see the sights of La Rioja and enjoy spending time with children then I cannot recommend this family highly enough.

You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.

(Excellent
)

16/10/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Stephanie & Anthony)

When Steffi contacted me a few months ago about the possibility of them staying with us for a month, I wasn't sure it was a good idea, because we thought it could be hard to host a family travelling with two very young children. Nevertheless, it couldn't have been any better and that's why they've ended up staying with us for three months. Steffi… read more and Anthony are really well organised and were always planning very interesting activities for the children. Also, it was very easy to talk to them about anything and that was very helpful. Moreover, Georgie and Felix have become the perfect "brothers" for little María. We feel really lucky they have shared this time with our family and can't thank them enough for the impact they've had on our daughter's English, but also for all the amazing moments and adventures we've lived together and all the things we've all learnt with them. This has been an extremely positive experience for all of us and we highly recommend hosting this wonderful family. It was very sad to say goodbye to them and we really hope to see them again soon.

(Excellent
)

07/10/2017

Left by Workawayer (Stephanie & Anthony) for host

We had the most wonderful stay with Isabel, Jose and little Maria. We were meant to stay one month and ended up staying three as we were so happy with this lovely family! Isabel and Jose are kind, thoughtful and genuine people. They did everything possible to make our stay comfortable and we felt like we were all part of the family from the very… read more start. They were very understanding and welcoming to our young children which helped us all settle in very quickly. They made every effort to integrate us in Spanish life and we shared many happy trips with them to local fiestas, beauty spots and different sights in the area. We also spent a lot of time with their extended family in the village and really enjoyed feeling part of the local community. Isabel and Jose are flexible and relaxed which made co-existing easy and we had our own living space on a separate floor which worked really well for us. Maria is an easy child to care for, very sweet and talkative (in perfect English!) and we really enjoyed watching her friendship with our children grow. Pradejon may not be the most picturesque village in Spain, but it is surrounded by beautiful countryside and a good base to explore the local area from. If you want to experience true Spanish village life with a wonderful family, we recommend a stay here very highly. The time has been truly unforgettable for us and we have so many happy memories from our stay there.

You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.

(Excellent
)

29/08/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Jenny)

What can I say about Jenny? It was a great experience to have her here with us. We had an awesome time with her. She managed to become part of our family very easily, was always willing to participate in all the activities that we prepared for her and and never complained about anything. She is really kind, friendly, helpful and respectul and… read more very, very responsible with her tasks. She is hardworking and fun as the occasion demands. We all learnt a lot with her and she was excellent with our little daughter María. We are going to miss her a lot and we would be delighted if she ever wanted to come back. We wish her all the best for her trip and for the rest of her life and recommend her to anybody who might consider hosting her.

(Excellent
)

28/08/2016

Left by Workawayer (Jenny) for host

Wow...where should I start? This was my first WorkAway experience and it could not have been any better. This family is great. I spent three weeks with Isabel, Jose, and Maria and feel like I could've spent 3 years. They were so sweet and accommodating and made me feel like I was part of their family. On top of spending time with their precious… read more daughter I got to visit with all of the extended family, too. I got to share meals with them and they took me on many trips to see castles, wineries, beaches, monasteries, etc. I was also there during the festival season and experienced much of the local culture. You may want to note that their town is quite small and the region of La Rioja may not be the most touristic in Spain....but if you're looking for some time to slow down for a bit and be with a very wonderful family and very, very nice locals...then you should definitely consider this listing.ni can't thank Isabel enough and I hope to see her and her family again sometime!!!